South Koreans' spending on medical services rose sharply in 2008 due largely to its fast-aging population and expanded coverage of health insurance, a government report showed Wednesday.
According to the report based on a survey commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, national medical expenditures jumped 7.9 percent on-year to 66.7 trillion (US$55.4 billion) in 2008.
The figure accounted for 6.5 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), up 1.1 percentage points from 2003, the report said.
In the 2003-2008 period, the expenditures as a percentage of the GDP grew faster than those of other Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development member nations.
The average for the 30 major economies posted only a 0.2 percent gain to 9 percent during the period, it said.
The increase was attributed to South Korea's fast population aging, an increase in chronic patients and expanded health care coverage, the report said.
"As the country's total medical spending continues to rise, there is a growing need to come up with countermeasures," a ministry official said.